The Northerner + Venus | The Guardianhttp://www.theguardian.com/uk/the-northerner+science/venus
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Get ready to watch the Transit of Venushttp://www.theguardian.com/uk/the-northerner/2012/may/28/transit-of-venus-salford-william-crabtree-jeremiah-horrocks
There won't be another until the 22nd century, when most of us won't be here. And remember the role of Salford and the wider north of England in the great astronomical event's history<p>Next Wednesday, 6 June, isn't just the annual anniversary of<a href="http://www.dday.co.uk"> D-Day.</a> It's the last chance this century to see the <a href="http://www.transitofvenus.org/">Transit of Venus</a>, one of the rarest and most important of astronomy's major - and generally understandable - events.</p><p>The planet Venus will be visible as a tiny black dot crossing the face of the sun, a process which allows the experts to fix the place of the planet Earth amongst the galaxies and within our solar system. This happens twice within approximately eight years every 120 years or so, and this is the second of a pair. The first of the two <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/2004/jun/08/netnotes">was on June 8 2004.</a></p><p>It was a colossal achievement for Salford over 400 years ago, in what was a hamlet in an obscure part of north-west Lancashire. It got me wondering: how did Crabtree get hold of <a href="http://www.hps.cam.ac.uk/starry/keplertables.html">Keplers' Tables</a>, which were published in 1632, so he could do the mathematics to observe the transit?</p><p>And, incidentally, correct Kepler, who also predicted the phenomenon but got the year wrong.</p><p>You wouldn't know from reading the history of science in Britain that this area was a central enclave of astronomical discovery. Four great astronomers were living locally. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Towneley">Townley</a> in Burnley, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Gascoigne_(scientist)">Gascoyne </a>in Leeds, Horrocks in Preston and Crabtree in Salford. </p><p>I did not want to write a propaganda piece but I wanted to comment on some contemporary themes.</p><p>It's a key problem even today: why do people who believe in one religion want to kill those who have a different faith? Crabtree's discovery would also have been seen as heresy. Standing up against received wisdom at that time could have cost him and Horrocks their lives.</p><p>Women of that generation were educated and as many men died during the Civil War, those women including daughters and wives were left to carry on the family business.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/uk/the-northerner/2012/may/28/transit-of-venus-salford-william-crabtree-jeremiah-horrocks">Continue reading...</a>ManchesterSalfordVenusAstronomyScienceHeritageTechnologyGreater ManchesterMon, 28 May 2012 11:52:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/uk/the-northerner/2012/may/28/transit-of-venus-salford-william-crabtree-jeremiah-horrocksCourtesy: Bernadette HylandWilliam Crabtree transit of Venus commemorative plaque at Ivy Cottage, SalfordMurdo MacLeod/ObserverThe last transit, in 2004. The next one isn't due until 2117 although it won't be visible from Europe. That doesn't happen again until 2125. Photograph: Murdo MacLeod for the ObserverMike Pilkington/Manchester City CouncilWilliam Crabtree watching the transit of Venus in 1639 - one of the glorious murals by Ford Madox Brown in the Great Hall of Manchester town hall. Photograph: Mike Pilkington/Manchester City CouncilMike Pilkington/Manchester City CouncilWilliam Crabtree watching the transit of Venus in 1639 Photograph: Mike Pilkington/Manchester City CouncilBernadette Hyland2012-05-28T11:52:00Z